the dawdlers

It seems as if the girls have perfected their dawdling skills. 

I, however, have not perfected my patience skills; or my creative skills.

Little Bird is the Queen of the dawdlers. She really knows how to delay doing something she doesn't want to do; actually she just knows how to delay doing anything. All she needs to do is start talking about totally random things. She knows I always listen to her without interrupting, so she uses it to her advantage. She usually talks about what we are doing, what we just did, what we are about to do, what we did yesterday, who we saw two weeks ago, where family members are right now, etc. I mean, she typically has something very interesting to say, but sometimes I just wish she understood "can you tell me later?".

I never thought it would take longer to get out the door than it did when the girls were younger and I had to do everything for them, including loading the car with everything but the kitchen sink. But now, everyone is running in different directions putting shoes on the wrong feet, needing to get their baby, needing to go pee pee, looking for Mickey Mouse cards, asking where we are going and why, explaining why one deserves to get in the car first, all at the mere mention of "it's time to go!".

One time the girls dawdled so much we didn't even make it to the park. They wanted to ride their cars there but they stopped every two seconds to watch the other kids in the neighborhood walking home from school, riding bikes and playing outside. Of course it was cute that they were so observant of the behavior of the other children, but seriously, we barely walked a block in 30 minutes!

They are also getting a little sassy too since they've perfected these dawdling skills. When I ask them to climb into their chairs for a given meal, Little Bird gets in backwards and says "like this mom?". Uh no. Then she sits sideways and says "like this mom?". Still no, dear. She sits on her knees and says "like this mom?". Argh!

Little Pie's dawdling skills are based on her desire to do everything herself. She must climb stairs, stools and chairs without any assistance. She needs to get in her car seat herself with no help; not even a tiny boost. If you help her in the slightest, she must start the whole task all over again so that she can do it all by herself.  (The other night she must have been so concerned that I would help her into the bath tub that while I was digging around drawers for clean jammies, she got in by herself...with her clothes on.)

The hardest dawdle situation by far is bedtime. The girls used to be so easy to put to bed; jammies, books, teeth, lotion, prayers, hugs and kisses took 15 minutes and then they were out! Now that they are in their own rooms and in toddler beds, we are lucky to get them in bed in 45. And this week with Daddy gone, I started the bedtime routine at 6:30 just to make sure they were in bed by 7:30 so that I could then pass out on the couch.

It is really hard to get slow moving, dawdling two year olds to do something you want them to do without it ending up a battle of the wills. It's still a work in progress!

I am trying so hard to be creative about getting them moving (let's hop into bed like a frog!, let's race home from the park!). I set the timer on my phone (when the timer goes off, we have to go home!). I give them choices (I put you in the car or you do it by yourself).

Why is it that my great ideas only work really well once? This is where my lack of creativity gets me in trouble.

I guess that means I'm just going to have to work on patience. I know I have to because these girls are going to be slow pokes for a long time.